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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Phish.com announced earlier today that the band has added a live series of song downloads to the already platinum game title:

A Phish "Live Track Pack" for Guitar Hero World Tour is available for download now and features live recordings of "Sample in a Jar," (12/1/94 Salem Armory, Salem, OR), "Down with Disease," (12/1/95 Hershey Park Arena, Hershey, PA), and "Chalk Dust Torture," (11/16/94 Hill Auditorium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI as released on "A Live One"). The pack is compatible with 360, PS3 and Wii .

The Track Pack can be downloaded from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and from the PlayStation Store (where the songs are also available as singles).

In addition, Rock Band has released tracks from year's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, and included is "Wilson" from Phish's Friday night set.

I don't own the game, or any of the consoles, but I might now. Though this does raise the question, what will all the classic rockers out there adding their catalogs to guitar hero's list: why doesn't Frank Zappa release one? It'd be essentially the same game!

We're back with week 4 of our Phish summer tour rarities, b-sides and live shows. Today brings us Phish's amazing performance in 1998 at Sessions @ W. 54th. Hosted by David Byrne of the Talking Heads, Sessions was an incredible show for real musicians. It has since ended, unfortunately, the studio having been owned by Sony only to break it apart and sell it piece by piece. It makes sense as we see all these entertainment conglomerates fall to pieces, but between CBGB, Sessions, and whatever else may be disappearing, it's clear that the glory days of music in New York City may be fading.

So before it happens entirely, enjoy the complete Sessions session (including Albuquerque). Keep checking back each week for a new installment of rare or live phish as we creep closer and closer to the back leg of the tour!

Setlist:Sleep#Frankie SaysGhostRoggaeGuyuteWading in the Velvet SeaDriver#Albuquerque*Birds of a FeatherPiperTaste**

Played for "Sessions at West 54th," a PBS series hosted by David Byrne (of Talking Heads). "Birds," "Ghost," and "Taste" were broadcast January 9, 1999 on the program, in addition to interviews with the band about fan taping and the Halloween musical costumes. #Acoustic. *Played (acoustic) while tapes were being changed; was not taped. (BUT DON'T WORRY, IT'S INCLUDED HERE!) **Quasi-encore: Phish had finished their written setlist (though skipping "The Moma Dance," which was on the list given to the cameramen) and had some time left ("Ghost" was only 10 minutes long). After a flood of audience requests (including many for Byrne to sit in), Trey said, "Okay, let's just play Taste," at Page's suggestion.

Monday, June 29, 2009

When I first heard his name last night, I thought Billy Mays was the Tae-Bo guy. "that'll shut them up," I thought out loud to all those housewives and gym teachers out there.

Turns out, I had the wrong guy. And while I can't boast that I ever knew or met Billy Mays, I will say this: for those of you who think the infomercial is dieing, you're wrong. We're in a golden age of infomercials. Between Discovery's show Pitchmen and the Shamwow guy, there's never been a better time to be in infomercials. That being said, now that he's gone, who could fill his shoes?

Billy Mays will be missed by the entertainment community at large though, mainly because he kept Leno employed for the past 5 years. Leno went off the air, and Mays passed away.

Coincidence?

UPDATE: 4:08 PM PST:

I found this link at yahoo. I couldn't agree more, considering I said it before you, yahoo, you jerks.

Last night I had the chance to catch Phoenix at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles for the closing night of their US tour. The band seemed to be in full stride, promoting their 4th studio album Wolfgang Amadeus with fiery renditions of about half the tracks on the record. And while their most recent effort is quite pop-driven, it seems to have a bit more edge than their previous record, It's Never Been Like That, leaving room for experimentation in their normally tight and polished songs.

Kicking off the show with a technically perfect Lizstomania, it wasn't until the band really got into their set that they found their niche. Renditions of Funky Squaredance 1-3, Run Run Run, and Love Like a Sunset left little to be desired, as the band played with tempo, did some start and stop, and experimented much more than I thought they would. Between those moments, and a few poppy others (namely Too Young, and their closing encore 1901), the show was nothing short of spectacular from a musical standpoint. Even their most popular hit, If I Ever Feel Better, was funked out a little bit, as the band added a sort of epic rock-opera ending to the jam. Mind you, Thomas Mars, their front man, was completely out of tune with the song when it started, but he found his groove, and got the entire place on their feet.

Looking at their setlists from the tour so far, the band doesn't really mix things up that much. They tend to play the same 20 songs at each venue, with a gem here and there. Obviously, as a pop band, that's your obligation, but I would have liked to have seen a few more early tracks and a willingness to embrace the songs the band likes for themselves. After all, I can imagine a stop in LA is pretty big for this band. LA is a musically snobby town, ergo the people that were there probably knew every song they've recorded as well as I did. Why not take some time and do a few lesser known tracks from United or Alphabetical? Or hell, you've been covering Air's Playground Love, give me one of those!

My only true criticism would have to be their light show. Now, I had never seen Phoenix before, but they've put out 4 fantastic records so far, plus a live effort. The point is: they've toured before. Probably 10 or 20 times I am guessing. With that in mind, you'd think the band would have an amazing light show to go along with their music. Not so. It almost looked like the Wiltern staff lighting technician sat in for the night and just sort of hit buttons as he went. Mind you, that's a little harsh- clearly the lights were engineered to fit with their music, but it all felt very sterile. Maybe a paint-by-numbers lighting kit would have been a better description. It's frustrating though, coming off the heels of seeing Phish a few weeks back: their lights are considered a 5th member of the band. But look at the small outfits of the world. When I saw Cut Copy, the lighting show was phenomenal. It covered up for the fact that they really only have about 10 songs they can do live before they get to be too redundant and overbearing. Phoenix clearly sits above these guys popularity-wise, and have released 3 more records at this point. Why then haven't they sprung for a decent lighting guy? I can only hope when I see them again (and yes, I absolutely will see them again, and can only recommend them to you as well) they'll have some sort of luminary show to accompany the music.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Ever the purveyor of my friends work, today brings you a piece, or series of pieces, from my longtime friend, colleague and cohort the bitter script reader that have been running over the past week. He recently had the chance to sit down with actor-turned-screenwriter Dan Callahan. The results, for you readers with any interest in writing, or anything creative at all for that matter, are nothing short of intriguing.

Those of you not familiar with the bitter script reader, his task is one that seems both poetic and mundane at times: he reads scripts. Sometimes for agencies, sometimes for studios, never for fun anymore (I can imagine...BSR, correct me if I am wrong), but that's what he does for a living. And more often than not, what he reads is pure unadulterated crap. And he shares that with the world, which is what makes me think he's really onto something big. Ha!

The BSR (bitter script reader) updates frequently, and there's always some real truth to be found on his sight, especially for those of us involved in the world of writing. Keep checking back frequently to see what he'll say next!

*Editor's note: I wanted to choose a picture of a pile of scripts, but the google search results that yielded were nothing short of piss poor. So I went with the single script page. And I have to say, if I hired whoever copied this- I'd fire thier shit so quickly. Look at that: double-sided-three-hole-punched and he put it on non-holed paper! Pack up your things, Billy! The dream is over!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Great Scott was delighted to learn last night that Phish is once again planning a three-day festival this fall centered around Halloween.

Halloween has always been a magical time in the world of Phish. Four times the band has donned "musical costumes," taking their second set on Halloween, and covering an entire album track by track. And really, if you count the '98 show from Utah where they covered Dark Side of the Moon (just 2 days AFTER they covered an entire album for halloween), they've done it 5 times:

Thoughts on this year? I can't say it any better than Justin at Live Music Blog, so I won't. Suffice it to say, I could not be happier that it may be happening in Indio, CA, also the home of the now-nationally-popular music festival "Coachella," and about 2000 miles closer than Loring Air Force Base or Coventry ever was! I might actually make it!

What could they do this year? I know it would be cliche, but I'd love to see them cover a Dead record. Terrapin Station maybe, or Shakedown Street. Something funky. Maybe even The Rolling Stones' Stick Fingers. We shall see though! In the meantime, as soon as any ticket info is released, we'll have it for you, right here on Great Scott.

You may see me at Shoreline if I get really lucky and my boss gives me a half day. I'm pushing for it, don't you worry. In the interim, keep checking back for exclusive Phish downloads, one per week, all tour long (including the 40 day hiatus!).

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Great Scott was heartbroken to hear that pop legend Michael Jackson* passed away just hours ago in a Los Angeles hospital after paramedics rushed the singer there. He was 50 years old. To the second!

The story is especially sad when you couple it with the fact that Jackson was about to release his 48th studio record of his already prolific career. Tentatively titled, "Hey, Let's Touch Butts," it was said to be his most progressive work to date.

"I heard one track and was like, Dayum Micah, you really did something here," says long-time brother Tito Jackson. He then proceeded to ask Michael for a twenty-thousand-dollar loan.

All in all though, family members were shocked by Jackson's decision to take his music in a new direction, but Jackson quickly quelled those fears, citing that "...it's just like trying a new position. Think of every record as a boy. A man. Think of every record as a woman. This is just a new position I'm trying with him. Her." Jackson's father promptly had Jackson fetch a switch from the yard (as was explicitly documented in the VHI made-for-tv-movie The Jacksons), then promptly beat his son senseless for "old times sake."

Michael Jackson, the moonwalking former child star who became known the world over as the "King of Pop" before his life and career deteriorated in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. He was 50. The person said Jackson died in a Los Angeles hospital. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.

The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY and DERRIK J. LANG, Associated Press Writers

Oh, by the way- in other REAL NEWS, 100,000 other people died today too. But you don't care about that. You just want your celebrities.

*yes, I did link his wikipedia, in case you've never heard of him. Or seen the sun. Or breathed.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Premiering tonight on NBC, The Philanthropist may just be the first new drama I'll tune into for a long time. For the most part, major network dramas bore the hell out of me. But I like this lead, I like the concept, and I like that they actually shot in real locations instead of greenscreening Sky Captian and the World of Make Believe for 2 and a half hours. We all know how well that went.

To top tonight's premiere off, a cube-mate of mine has been involved with this show since it's conception, and I'd love to see the show go 20 years so he stays employed! After all, NBC could use a hit, and those of us pressing against the glass ceiling could use a break every now and again.

So make sure you tune in tonight, 10 PM EST / 9 PM CST on NBC. Here's some glowing press to get your dvr's a jigglin':

Entertainment Weekly, June 26, 2009

“A pleasant surprise"“‘The Philanthropist’ has a bristling intelligence that overcomes the sentimental parts of Teddy’s life.”

--Ken TuckerTV Guide, June 25, 2009

“Hard to imagine a more debonair leading man than the charming James Purefoy (‘Rome’) in the title role of megamogul man-about-globe Teddy Rist.”

--Matt Roush

New York Post, June 21, 2009

“The premiere episode is engaging and…unlike most anything you’ll see on a broadcast network…”

--Tiffany Connors

Slant Magazine, June 17, 2009“NBC has found the diamond in the rough it’s been searching for: a show with limitless potential, exploring all that humanity has to offer with a slight bent of thrill-seeking action and social responsibility.”

According to a recent BurlingtonFreePress.com article, PETA had asked the band Phish to change their name for their recent shows in Alpine Valley. Nothing short of ignorant (hey, it's PETA), they then went on to ask drummer John Fishman to change his name to Heddy Goodwife, something that he had considered, until he realized they were serious.

This new request comes on the heels of PETA's recent headlines they made with the band Metallica, officially asking them to change their name to "The Good Ole' Terrible Terrible Goat on the Car Band." While Metallica opted to ignore the request, many speculated it was because the band was too busy prosecuting 10 year olds for actually liking them!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Long time comedian and first time juror, Lucas Held brings down the house with another fantastic comic today. Head over there daily for new toons. Plus he's got Baby Chicken Fridays going for him, which is one of the funniest trademarked themes of all time.

On the heels of their divorce announcement earlier today, TLC's Jon and Kate Plus 8 will be on hiatus until August.

Yes you read that correctly. The show isn't canceled, they're just "on a break." Ross and Rachel must be rolling over in their graves.

Far be it for these two money hungry freaks to cancel the show all together, given that, oh I don't know, THEY HAVE 8 FUCKING KIDS TO RAISE. But the couple decided the best plan of action was to take a break. Jon plans on doing a movie for Spike TV entitled "Can I Get A Refund," whereas Kate is in talks with Lifetime and Oxygen TV to create her own Oprah-style network where she can unabashedly denounce men, being straight, and anything without an elastic waistband. Ad sales are already through the roof, which, ironically, Jon has to fix per the divorce agreement.

No, but seriously, Jon and Kate: LISTEN UP FOR A SECOND.

You've got 8 kids for fucks sake. Maybe they're not yours, I don't know. Hollywood has done stranger things. And if that is the case, I haven't seen this many little people working since The Wizard of Oz when they were called something entirely different and inapropriate. But if they are your babies, you owe it to them to try and reconcile and raise them to the best of your ability. Even if you hate each other. Cause it's not about you anymore. You've got your magazine covers, your scandals, your divorce; you got everything you wanted. But your kids? You've already ruined their lives enough, creating a TV show around what was supposed to be a very beautiful thing. Now you'll only see them 2 weeks a month? And probably still with cameras!? Fuck you. You're what's wrong with America. I hope your kids do some awesome VH1 special someday and trash both of you for being horrible horrible role models.

Monday, June 22, 2009

When Phish released Farmhouse in May of 2000, they were as deep in their own sound as they had ever been. Sure it wasn't the syncopated rhythms and ornate lyricism that had made them so popular, but it was uniquely their sound. Using heavy loops and drone sound the created a lot of the dark jamming that now seems to be peppered into every show. Hard to believe this album was widely considered a "pop" record, especially considering how many of these songs are staples today.

Around the same time, Phish played Japan, and much to their surprise found out they were quite popular there. Japanese fans had even created a choreographed dance for "Meatstick," a song that had some success there. Trey attempted to teach it to the crowd at Deer Creek in 2000, but for the life of me, I can't remember a step. I have a feeling though, given that these songs weren't released on the stateside version of the record, that the band wanted to give a new group of die hard fans something to enjoy that none one else could. After all, given how much lore is associated with the band, it's a pretty cool thing to do.

Track list:

01. Driver (would have been track 13 on the Japanese release)02. Mist (would have been track 14 on the Japanese release)

And with that, the first leg of summer tour comes to a close. Stay tuned this week for an in depth look at the Fox Theater show in St. Louis (with lot video to follow as well), a late summer tour preview, and weekly exclusive releases of b-sides,live shows,and studio outtakes all summer long.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

AS USUAL, LIVE BLOGGING BEGINS TONIGHT @ 7:45 PM EST. AFTER TONIGHT THE BAND TAKES 5 WEEKS OFF. WE WILL RESUME LIVE BLOGGING WHEN THEY PICK UP THE TOUR AT RED ROCKS, JULY 30. KEEP CHECKING BACK ALL SUMMER LONG FOR RARE DOWNLOADS, LIVE SHOWS, AND STUDIO RECORDINGS CONTINUING WITH OUR NEXT INSTALLMENT TOMORROW (MONDAY). AND KEEP CHECKING BACK FOR NEW DAILY CONTENT HERE AT GREAT SCOTT.

TONIGHT'S SET:

Set I:BrotherWolfman's BrotherFunky Bitch>Divided SkyJoyBack on the TrainTastePoor HeartThe Horse>Silent in the MorningThe Man Who Stepped into Yesterday>Avenu Malkanu>The Man Who Stepped into YesterdayTime Turns Elastic

Set II:Crosseyed and Painless>Down with Disease>Bug>PiperWading in the Velvet SeaBoogie on Reggae WomanSlave to the Traffic Light

Encore:GrindFrankenstein*

*featured Trey on a 5-neck guitar, Page on Keytar, and Mike on the Inferno bass.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Rain nor sleet nor even snow can stop the boys from finishing the front leg of this tour- and doing it in style! If last night's setlist was any indication, I have a feeling they'll wrap up at Alpine with some loose funky stuff.

AS USUAL, LIVE BLOGGING BEGINS TONIGHT @ 7:45 PM EST. KEEP CHECKING BACK ALL SUMMER LONG FOR RARE DOWNLOADS, LIVE SHOWS, AND STUDIO RECORDINGS CONTINUING THIS MONDAY. AND KEEP CHECKING BACK FOR NEW DAILY CONTENT HERE AT GREAT SCOTT. NOW DOWN TO BUSINESS:

Set I:Punch You In The EyeRunaway JimStashYamarBathtub GinKill Devil FallsTrain SongFarmhouseSparkleRun Like An Antelope

Set II:Waves>Sample in a JarMazeMakisupa PolicemanGhost>The LizardsYou Enjoy Myself>NICU>Prince Caspian>Waste>Fire

Friday, June 19, 2009

The Phish crew worked hard to cover everything on the stage and the PA was pulled down. According to Wilby the energy in the crowd was as electric as the storms with speculation about what the band has time to practice during the extended setbreak the topic of most conversations in the pavilion.

AS USUAL, LIVE BLOGGING BEGINS TONIGHT @ 7:45 PM EST. KEEP CHECKING BACK ALL SUMMER LONG FOR RARE DOWNLOADS, LIVE SHOWS, AND STUDIO RECORDINGS. AND KEEP CHECKING BACK FOR NEW DAILY CONTENT HERE AT GREAT SCOTT. NOW DOWN TO BUSINESS:

Last night was something sick, there's no question. Too bad they didn't do two nights in St. Louis, because they played a bunch of favorites that I would have loved to see. Let's hope the rest of the weekend follows suit! Having seen phish at Deer Creek 5 times now (the amazing summer 2000 shows and again in 2004) it's no question they'll bring their best stuff out to strut. I've been listening to Live Phish 12 all day in preparation. It's been a strange tour this summer so far (only 1 night at deer creek, 3 at Jones Beach, and a 2 night stay at bonnaroo), but they've brought nothing but their A-game to the back leg of this tour. And wouldn't you know it, my little brother, that lucky SOB, will be there for Deer Creek and Alpine to finish out the tour. My only hope now, being back in LA, is that I can play hookie from work and drive up to see them at Shoreline in August.

And now, tonight's set:

Set I:Backwards Down The Number LineAC/DC BagLimb By LimbThe Moma DanceWater In The SkySplit Open and MeltLawn BoyThe WedgeStealing Time From The Faulty PlanThe ConnectionOcelotFluffhead

*1:30 minute rain delay. Page came out in the middle of the setbreak and announced that due to the electrical storms surrounding the venue the second set wouldn’t start until 11PM.*

Set II:A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing>Drowned>TwistLet Me LieTweezer>2001>Suzy Greenberg>Possum

Future co-worker and writer/comedian extraordinaire Mark Legan gives us his 2 cents on just how ridiculous Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue really was. Remember- this film was made in 1990! I was only 8. Now it's 2009 and I'm totally ate. Ok, that joke didn't really work, but maybe I'd be funnier if I would have seen this movie as a child and just said no!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Just got back from the Fox show and BOY did they kill it. We'll see if tonight is the same! Just 4 shows left before the 5 week break. Then it's to the wild west for 4 nights at the rock, 2 at the gorge, and a whole hell of a lot of happy fans.

AS USUAL, LIVE BLOGGING OF TONIGHT'S SET BEGINS AT 7:45 EST. KEEP CHECKING BACK FOR MORE RARE DOWNLOADS, AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT THE FOX SHOW, AND SET LISTS AS THEY HAPPEN - ALL TOUR LONG.

*Notes: The show ended at 12:10am, long after a reported 11pm curfew,including an encore exceeding 22 minutes on its own! (The first set was8:10-9:40pm, second set 10:10-11:40pm.) Short version: They paused betweenGrind and Hello my baby because Page blew the wrong note. Hello my baby wasunfinished with Trey laughing and telling the crowd Fishman will now singBike. Long version: After Grind, they started and stopped Hello My Baby,during which Trey said Page blew the wrong note. The band huddled away fromthe mic, and then Trey promised, "If we screw up again, Jon is going to singBike for you." They started again and messed it up (they were all laughingby this point) so then Trey said something like, "Son of a Bitch, we'redoing bike." Trey ran over to the drums and started playing HYHU whichmorphed into Jon picking up the vacuum everyone in the crowd going crazy andthen Jon saying, "Welcome to the train wreck portion of the show. I hope Iremember how to sing this song." Before going into Bike (forgetting a numberof the lyrics) w/ vacuum solo at the end, then Jon did an intro of the band(introducing himself last as Henrietta), then Trey came back out and theydid Loving Cup.

A long time fan of Gonzales, and his ability to go from Parisian b-boy to superb classical pianist. (ha, I said pianist.) But this is a great cover, and an awesome introduction to his music for those of you who've never heard him before. And it's a pretty good barometer for his work. A lot of the "classical pop" he released on his first solo piano record, the aptly titled Solo Piano, plays in very much the same way. It's very light and very tight. It moves while still being something of a pure sound, which is almost always likened with classical, hence the genre misnomer.

I've yet to listen to his 2009 release, Soft Power, but as you might imagine, I've heard great things. I'll give it a write up later this week, as it's en route to me now. But from what I gather, it's his deeper exploration of what made Solo Piano so good to begin with: simple sounding music that could not be more complex.

I did a write up of this album back in 2006 (I know, I know, shamelessly promoting my own stuff here, but what can you do? Hustle baby!) and each time I listen to it I like it more. I most enjoy it while cooking, so, you know, suck on that.

Mind you, there were a few glaring errors in that old post, but hey, you can't fault a guy for his excitement over sharing music that's this good with the world. After all, it's 3 years later and here I am, still talking about it! Big ups to my brother Jeffro for finding the remix and getting me all giddy about this record again!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Far be it for me to assume this guy should either be in jail, or at the very least, off spokesman work, but here he is as hilarious and as annoying as he's ever been. Give this a viewing, I promise at least 3 laughs.

This aired on Discovery 2 weeks ago, and for the first time in ages, I actually enjoyed Will Ferrell's performance. And I think that's partially because there were moments in this where Ferrell was very real. Scared, shaken, and fatigued, legitimately worried for his well being.

Mind you, they sleep in hotel rooms after shooting each day, so it's not quite as "real" as anyone wants it to be, but Bear Grylls is still a bad ass no matter how you slice it. And Ferrell isn't without his comedic moments either, but it's much more interesting to see him push the limits of his physical capacity. The segment of him repelling out of the helicopter is especially intriguing, which is why I've attached it here. You can see legitimate fear on Ferrell's face. It quite captivating. Especially when juxtaposed next to Grylls's no-fear attitude.

Enjoy the first segment of the show here, and check out ULTIMATESHOWS2 on youtube to view the entire episode.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

I know this clip is old, but who doesn't like to laugh? Especially at someone so crazy. Then again, if this chicken tetrazzini is that good, maybe I should try some before I judge this woman. The thing is, I'm stuck in my ways, and I've already judged her...so there's no way to really claw back out of this hole.

FUN DRINKING GAME: put the video on repeat, and drink every time you hear Chicken Tetrazzini.

God bless Jimmy Fallon and his desire to see a Saved By the Bell reunion. I know he has nothing to do with it personally, and quite frankly, Fallon's not even funny, but the idea is great, and should definitely yield high ratings and gobs of cash. So kudos to you, Late Night producers. You really found something with this idea.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Before we get into today's exclusive online download, I wanted to take a moment and give a round of applause for last night's show. Easily the best of the tour thus far, and they played 10 songs I wanted to hear in one night. Amazing how they do that sometimes. Anyway, that' being said, let's dive into some more great free music!

The second in our summer long series of Phish outtakes, live shows and rare b sides continues this week with Phish's 2000 performance at Austin City Limits. This plays quite nicely and includes a post show interview and a couple of the local ads that ran in conjunction with the show when it originally aired. And while they may have only played one "set," and they may not have been able to jam as long due to time constraints, this is still a solid show, and a must have for any collector.

Set list:Beauty of My DreamsMy SoulThe Inlaw Josie WalesTrey speakLimb by LimbWhen the Circus Comes to TownBack on the TrainTwistPossumSleepFirst Tube

Saturday, June 06, 2009

It's going to be hard to top last night's efforts, but I know the boys love playing this venue, so who knows! Expect more repeats of new tunes as they try to pick through them as well. Plus a few newbie favorites for the new generation of fans. Once they cut through all that though, as evidenced by the Jones Beach sets from Tuesday,Thursday,and friday, it's safe to say we have one heck of an awesome summer in front of us.

SETLISTS AS THEY HAPPEN, RIGHT HERE, ALL TOUR LONG. START CHECKING BACK AS EARLY AS 7:45 PM (EST) FOR TONIGHT'S SHOW.

AND DON'T FORGET, WE'LL BE RELEASING RARE PHISH STUDIO OUTTAKES, LIVE SHOWS, AND B-SIDES ONCE A WEEK ALL TOUR LONG!

Set I:Stealing Time From the Faulty PlanNothingBack on the TrainGolgi ApparatusSparkleGotta JibooLawn BoyLet Me Lie*TasteMakisupa PolicemanPrince Caspian

Set II:Seven BelowFluffheadScent of a MuleHeavy ThingsHarry HoodPossumBug

Friday, June 05, 2009

I'm sure you're well aware by this point that Conan O'Brien has taken over as host of what was already one of the most successful talk-show franchises of all time: The Tonight Show. 54 years the show has been on the air. Leno carried the torch for an impressive 17 himself. And now, it's the dawn of a new era. A time when kids from my generation, The Simpsons generation, as I like to call it, take over. A time when comedy finally makes sense to me at 11:35 PM, something it hadn't done for many many years. Cause let's face it, Leno was great, but Conan is the voice of a new generation. Kind of like Pepsi. Well, maybe Pepsi Clear.

Anyway, as we all may or may not know, Conan O'Brien graduated from Harvard, wrote for the Harvard Lampoon, and after a short lived gig in LA, worked on SNL before moving back out west to write for The Simpsons.

The reason I mention this, of course, save for being totally awesome, is that I've had a long living theory about those syndicated Simpsons reruns Fox shows every night at 6 PM, 7:30 PM, and again at 11 PM. Ever since 9/11 when I saw 2 reruns of Simpsons episodes so specifically chosen there was no chance they just happened to "air that day," I've had a sneaking suspicion that someone very Simpsons-savvy is behind who chooses them. In the first, a helicopter crashed into a building and in the second, Marge had a fear of flying. This seemed odd to me at the time, and lead me to develop a conspiracy theory about all of the Simpsons reruns we see. Since then I've witnessed several instances where the reruns that aired have specifically coincided with the current events and news of that day.

My theory was further confirmed Monday night at 11 PM PST when Fox chose to air "Marge vs. the Monorail," the episode that is widely known as being written by Conan O'Brien. His voice comes through the characters so clearly, it's easy to identify it as Conan's work.

But that's not the point! The point is that on the day Conan was set to take over The Tonight Show- literally 30 minutes before it aired, Fox aired a Conan-written episode. Coincidence? I think not. So as you sit there, watching your Simpsons, taking bong hits, remember: there could be more at play there than you could ever imagine.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Last weekend I had the chance to take in UP, the newest installment from Disney / Pixar films. Leaving little to be desired, it further cemented Pixar's place as the top tier animation studio in America today. Okay, let's be honest: Korea. But still- Dreamworks doesn't hold a candle to these guys, despite the fact that they pull from the same pool of forced-illegal-labor-at-gunpoint.

The movie was very well rounded though, and not just because it was in 3-D. The characters were very real. Their struggles, ours. Their joys, shared with the audience as much with each other. I'd hate to give anything away here, but let's just say this film is on point with everything Pixar has done in the past, save for Monsters Inc., which may not have been that great a film, but in it's defense, was still visually captivating. And while Monsters Inc. may be my least favorite because it's geared more towards children, UP works in the exact opposite way. I wasn't surprised to see a theatre full of families at 11 AM on a Saturday, but a lot of the themes in the movie were very adult; some moments even scary. So once again, the studio has created a project that spans several age groups and generations, a feat not easy to pull off.

Talk about visually stunning though...UP was incredible in 3-D. You have to see it on the largest screen possible. After all, that's what the film was made for: to display Pixar's ability to not only deliver a fantastic film, but one that left you talking as much about the animation as the movie itself.

This film is highly recommended, and could not be a better summer flick.

BONUS: ESPN, partner in crime with Disney, aired a preview for X-Games: 3-D which was about the coolest three and a half minutes of my life thus far. It will blow your mind open and scoop your brain out and then put sprinkles on it.

In honor of summer tour opening this week, I bring you the first installment of phish related downloads.

While recording The Story of the Ghost at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, NY, the band had several studio sessions and alternate takes. The following gives some pretty awesome insight into their recording process. Hope you enjoy!

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